Author: dpatrickryan

The Pump House Brewery Limited Muddy River Oatmeal Stout at 4.5% ABV (C$2.29 at NLC Stavanger, 341 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 25-Nov-2017, reviewed 6-Dec-2017)

Appearance: near opaque black with brown relief at the margins, a short, short-lived fizzy beige head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: mild, coffee, toasted malts, light smoke. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body tending slightly thin, moderate carbonation, dry bitter slightly astringent finish. (3/5)

Mild aromas notwithstanding, I find this too sweet and too thin for my preference, and the thinness ends up translating to a slight astringency in the finish. Nothing offensive, but it doesn’t stand out. I wonder if this bottled version might suffer by comparison to the original draft-only one, but that’s not a hypothesis I’m likely to put to the test any time soon, so as it stands, not one I can recommend making a special effort to locate. (13/20)

6.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Collective Arts Brewing Collective Project/ IPA No. 4 American IPA at 6.4% ABV | 80 IBU (C$3.75 Gift – thanks, Rod H!, 473 ml, packaged on 24-Oct-2017, acquired 3-Dec-2017, reviewed 6-Dec-2017)

Appearance: near opaque pale gold with one fat finger of rocky white head, excellent retention and chunky lacing. (5/5) Aroma: juicy citrus, resiny pine, floral, pale malt, tropical fruit. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry moderate bitter finish. (4/5)

CA nails another one – I’d have to say this is even better than their IPA No. 1. I wasn’t previously familiar with Hallertau Blanc hops, which are apparently nothing like the noble Hallertau hops, but a Cascade daughter – and that, in conjunction with the Citra and Mosaic, make for an emphatic citrusy punch, backed up with some pleasingly dank pine and a very clean supporting malt. I guess this would be considered an NEIPA, given the juiciness, but there is some West Coast dank going on as well. I seem to recall somebody doing a “bicoastal IPA”, but haven’t had one – but in any case, that’s pretty much what this is. Really good stuff. (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Great Lakes Brewery Karma Citra IPA American IPA at 6.6% ABV | 65 IBU (C$3.25 Gift – thanks, Rod H!, 473 ml, packaged on 27-Oct-2017, acquired 3-Dec-2017, reviewed 6-Dec-2017)

Appearance: near opaque pale gold with one fat finger of rocky white head, good retention and soapy moderate lacing. (5/5) Aroma: grapefruit rind & flesh, resiny pine, pale malt, tropical fruit. (9/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry moderate bitter finish. (4/5)

Awww hells yes – this is my kind of brew. They don’t specifically say it’s a single-hop, but I assume it is, from the name and the label notes. Complete juicy hop domination, with malt well in the background, and no hint whatsoever of any onion or cattiness from the Citra. (And hey, there’s that magic 10:1 ratio between IBU and ABV again!) If you have access to an LCBO, I highly recommend this. (17/20)

8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Belching Beaver Brewery Beavers Milk Stout Nitro Milk / Sweet Stout at 5.3% ABV (2017 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #6, 355 ml, packaged on 19-Aug-2017, acquired 20-Nov-2017, reviewed 6-Dec-2017)

Appearance: near opaque black with brown relief at the margins, one fat finger of creamy beige head, excellent retention and spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: milk chocolate, coffee, vanilla, nuts. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium creamy body, moderate carbonation, dry mildly bitter finish. (4/5)

The label says this is the mother for their Peanut Butter Stout, which I haven’t actually had – but I have had their Mexican Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout, and I enjoyed that quite a bit. I keep wanting to say I’m getting peanut butter here, but careful evaluation indicates not – I think it’s a combination of lactose sweetness and nutty roasted malt that’s doing that. I think I can see now, though, why I got such a heavy peanut butter presence in the Mexican Chocolate one: if this thing tends to taste peanut butter-y even with no PB added, it’s going to go over the top as soon as you start adulterating it. I could stand to see this have a thicker body, especially in nitro form, but it’s not thin even now. All in all, pleasant and well-balanced. (16/20)

8/10 #craftbeeradvent2017 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Blindman Brewing Ichorous Imperial Stout at 11% ABV | 80 IBU (C$4.51 at Andrew Hilton Wine & Spirits, 355 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 22-Nov-2017, reviewed 5-Dec-2017)

Appearance: clear deep brown with a short, short-lived beige head, no lacing. (4/5) Aroma: boozy dark fruit, coffee, chocolate, liquorice, hint of smoke. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: full slick body, moderate-soft carbonation, sticky lingering bitter warming finish. (4/5)

I had cautiously high hopes for this: cautiously because the can felt like a short fill to me, but high because Blindman has really been hitting their stride with me lately. I needn’t have worried. Boozy good fun, with high sweetness balanced by even higher bitterness, pumped with dark roasty notes that stop just short of Rauchbier levels of smokiness. I hesitate to call the sticky finish drying, because of the high sweetness, but it’s certainly not cloying, and the warming is emphatic without being harsh. That’s not to suggest it’s easy-drinking as such, but that’s a characteristic I’d neither expect nor want from ichor, the blood of the gods. Good stuff any way you look at it. (16/20)

8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Brasserie McAuslan St-Ambroise Oak Aged Pale Ale English Pale Ale at 6% ABV | 40 IBU (C$2.52 at NLC Stavanger, 341 ml, packaged on 17-Nov-2017, best before 17-Aug-2018, acquired 25-Nov-2017, reviewed 5-Dec-2017)

Appearance: clear medium amber with one fat finger of creamy ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin persistent cap, moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel/toffee, oak & peat, bready wheat, vanilla, floral. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, sweetish medium duration finish. (3/5)

A very woody English-style Pale with loads of Scotch Ale overtones, that ends up reminding me entirely too much of Innis & Gunn. (Make of that what you will.) Not bad, but not one I’d go looking for again. Now, what do I do with the rest of the six pack? (14/20)

7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Naparbier Alien Klaw Belgian IPA at 6.8% ABV | 50 IBU (2017 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #5, 330 ml, packaged on 9-Aug-2017, best before 31-Jul-2018, acquired 20-Nov-2017, reviewed 5-Dec-2017)

Appearance: hazy pale gold with three fingers of rocky white head, excellent retention and spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: Belgian yeast funk, tropical fruit, citrus, pale malt. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry bitter and lightly funky finish. (4/5)

Quite a bit better than their Saison in last year’s calendar. Actually, you know what? Ignore that: it’s just plain good, no qualifiers required. Bitter and malt are well balanced, as are fruity hops and funky Belgian yeast. It ends up reasonably refreshing even with the pleasant funk in the finish. All in all, a solid contender. (15/20)

7.5/10 #craftbeeradvent2017 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Evil Twin Brewing The Quads Are Not What They Seem Abt / Quadrupel at 10% ABV (2017 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #4, 355 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 20-Nov-2017, reviewed 4-Dec-2017)

Appearance: muddy brown with a thin, short-lived fizzy beige head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: caramel & toffee, dried dark fruit, port wine. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-full slightly slick body, soft carbonation, sweetish bitter warming finish. (4/5)

Not the best Evil Twin I’ve had, but a long way from the worst, either. Pretty solid, all things considered. My single biggest complaint here is the frankly unimpressive appearance, murky and muddy, with no head or lacing to speak of. On the nose, however, there’s a pleasant depth and complexity, which follows through on the tongue. The double-digit ABV makes very little impact whatsoever, and this drinks much more easily than might otherwise be expected. I dunno if that’s the things not being what they seem aspect or not, but it’ll do. (And I gotta say, I like the trend in scores for the calendar thus far: 6, 6.5, 6.5 and now 7.5 – things are certainly moving in the right direction!) (15/20)

7.5/10 #craftbeeradvent2017 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Saugatuck Brewing Company Cocanuck Stout American Stout at 7.5% ABV (2017 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #3, 355 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 20-Nov-2017, reviewed 3-Dec-2017)

Appearance: opaque black with the merest hint of brown relief at the margins, a thin, short-lived fizzy beige head, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: coconut, chocolate syrup, caramel, alcohol. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Palate: full slick body, soft carbonation, sweetish bitter warming finish. (3/5)

Not a brewery I’ve had extensive experience with, but what I have had, hasn’t been great. Their Neapolitan Milk Stout and Blueberry Maple Stout were both over the top with sweetness and artificial flavours, and the less said about their Back Yard Session IPA, the better. This is marginally better, but still not exactly great. In particular, I find there’s a surprisingly emphatic, almost solvent-like alcohol for a relatively moderate ABV. I’m also wondering whether I should be offended by the casual anti-Canadian racism… (14/20)

6.5/10 #craftbeeradvent2017 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com

Nøgne Ø _Dubbel Advent_ Dubbel at 8.0% ABV _(2017 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #2, 330 ml, packaged on 4-May-2017, best before 4-May-2022, acquired 20-Nov-2017, reviewed 2-Dec-2017)_

Appearance: murky brown with a thin, short-lived fizzy beige head, no lacing. (2/5) Aroma: chocolate, molasses, dark fruit. (7/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-low bitter. (7/10) Palate: medium-full slightly slick body, moderate-soft carbonation, sweetish medium finish. (4/5)

After yesterday’s less than impressive start to the calendar, I was pleased to see a Nøgne Ø as the second offering. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out to be one of their better offerings: the distressingly muddy brown appearance set a poor tone at the outset, and although things improved dramatically from there, it still wasn’t enough to really make this particularly memorable. Frankly, nowhere near as good as their Adventurous Brown from the 2016 calendar, or their God Advent from 2014. (13/20)

6.5/10 #craftbeeradvent2017 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com